E B O L A

SRIRAM MOHANAKUMARGROUP:6

WHAT IS EBOLA

• Ebola, previously known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains. • Ebola is caused by infection with a virus of the family

Filoviridae , genus Ebola virus. • Ebola viruses are found in several African countries. Ebola

was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, outbreaks have appeared sporadically in Africa.

EPIDEMOLOGY• The disease typically occurs in

outbreaks in tropical regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. From 1976 (when it was first identified) through 2013, the World Health Organization reported 1,716 confirmed cases.• The largest outbreak to date is the

ongoing 2014 West Africa Ebola virus outbreak, which is affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria. • As of 25 October 2014, 10,141

suspected cases and 4,922 deaths had been reported.

symptoms• Fever• Severe headache• Muscle pain• Weakness• Diarrhoea• Vomiting• Abdominal pain• Unexplained haemorrhage (bleeding or

bruising)Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

TRANSMISSION

Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with• blood or body fluids (including but

not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola• objects (like needles and syringes)

that have been contaminated with the virus

TRANSMISSION

• infected fruit bats or primates (apes and monkeys)• Ebola is not spread through the

air or by water, or in general, by food. However, in Africa, Ebola may be spread as a result of handling bush meat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. There is no evidence that mosquitos or other insects can transmit Ebola virus.

DIAGNOSIS

• Diagnosing Ebola in an person who has been infected for only a few days is difficult, because the early symptoms, such as fever, are nonspecific to Ebola infection and are seen often in patients with more commonly occurring diseases, such as malaria and typhoid fever.• However, if a person has the early symptoms of Ebola and has had contact

with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola, contact with objects that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola, or contact with infected animals, they should be isolated and public health professionals notified.• Samples from the patient can then be collected and tested to confirm

infection.

Laboratory tests used in diagnosis include:

TREATMENT

• No FDA-approved vaccine or medicine (e.g., antiviral drug) is available for Ebola.• Symptoms of Ebola are treated as they appear. The

following basic interventions, when used early, can significantly improve the chances of survival:• Providing intravenous fluids (IV)and balancing electrolytes

(body salts)•Maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure• Treating other infections if they occur

TREATMENT

• Experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are under development, but they have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness.• Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive care and the

patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years, possibly longer. • It isn't known if people who recover are immune for life or if they can

become infected with a different species of Ebola. • Some people who have recovered from Ebola have developed long-

term complications, such as joint and vision problems.

PREVENTION• There is no FDA-approved vaccine

available for Ebola.

• If you travel to or are in an area affected by an Ebola outbreak, make sure to do the following:

• Practice careful hygiene. For example, wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and avoid contact with blood and body fluids.

PREVENTION• Do not handle items that may have

come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids (such as clothes, bedding, needles, and medical equipment).• Avoid funeral or burial rituals that

require handling the body of someone who has died from Ebola.• Avoid contact with bats and

nonhuman primates or blood, fluids, and raw meat prepared from these animals.

RISK OF EXPOSURE• Healthcare providers caring for Ebola patients and the

family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with the blood or body fluids of sick patients. • People also can become sick with Ebola after coming in

contact with infected wildlife. For example, in Africa, Ebola may spread as a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. • The virus also can be spread through contact with objects

(like clothes, bedding, needles, syringes/sharps or medical equipment) that have been contaminated with the virus or with infected animals.

REFERENCES• http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.h

tml• http://www.uptodate.com/contents/ep

idemiology-pathogenesis-and-clinical-manifestations-of-ebola-and-marburg-virus-disease• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola_vir

us_disease• http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/press/

news/_layouts/forms/News_DispForm.aspx?List=8db7286c-fe2d-476c-9133-18ff4cb1b568&ID=1042• http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ebola-vi

rus/pages/ebola-virus.aspx

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